Mouth-watering treat in store at debut food and drink festival in Ripponden

A mouth-watering treat lies in store at the first-ever Ripponden Food & Drink Festival which will be held on May Day.

The festival, on Monday, May 6, has been launched by the team that also organises the annual Christmas market.

Located in The Old Bridge Inn car park opposite St Bartholmew’s Church and running alongside the Church’s May Day Fair, the Festival will run from 11am to 4pm.

A full range of flavours to tempt the tastebuds will be on offer with a chance to explore many international cuisines as well as some well-loved foodie favourites.

From savoury to sweet, spicy to soothing, there will be food treats for everyone from the youngest to the older connoisseur.

Stalls attending include curries from India, Pakistan and West Africa; Thai and Malaysian food; wood-fired pizzas and venison burgers; homemade pies, freshly-baked bread, deli boards and fish finger butties – and many vegan and vegetarian alternatives too.

A Ripponden firm favourite – award-winning Yorkshire Dama Cheese – will also be there.

For those with a sweet tooth stalls selling homemade tarts and cakes, bubble waffles, hand-iced biscuits and locally made chocolates will satisfy their cravings.

Sampling all the foodie treats will make you crave a drink so there will be stalls to quench your thirst, with everything from beer and gin to tea and coffee.

St Bart’s will also be entering into the foodie spirit serving Pimms to adults and hot dogs, crisps, sweets, ice-cream and drinks for children.

As well as this, they will have lots of stalls to entertain and browse in the Church grounds.

Live performances will be on-going in our ‘Buskers’ Corner’, with local talent to entertaining the crowds, including ‘The Voice’ semi-finalist Callum Butterworth, a Halifax lad, Archie Whitworth and Oolagh from the band ‘Caline’.

The family fun will continue late into the afternoon with the Church’s annual Duck Race when more than 700 plastic ducks will be released along the River Ryburn.

Ducks are already on sale for £1 around the village and in The Old Bridge Inn – make sure you don’t miss out on the three cash prizes – £75, £50 and £25.

They will also be on sale on the day when the winners will be announced after the race.

All proceeds from the Festival will be donated to the Forget-me-Not hospice, the only care facility on this side of the Pennines specifically for children and their families.